Trial class
one class$10
- Taken off the first term if the dancer joins
- Ordinary clothes are fine
- A parent stays in the building
Ballet from the first curtsey to the summer stage
Small classes for children from age three, graded classes for older pupils who want exams, and adult beginners on weekday evenings. Every teacher holds a current safeguarding check, and parents may watch any lesson from the viewing window.
3+age of the youngest class
12pupils per class at most
Julythe summer show
Classes by age, from first steps to grown ups
Children join the class for their age in September or at any half term, after a trial. Adults can start in any week of the term.
| Ages | Class | Length | What it works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 | Little Swans | 30 min | Musical games, marching, skipping and the very first ballet positions |
| 5 to 6 | Primary Ballet | 45 min | Posture, pointed feet, small jumps and moving in time with the piano |
| 7 to 9 | Grades 1 to 3 | 45 min | Exercises at the barre, steps in the centre and short dances learned by heart |
| 10 to 13 | Grades 4 to 5 | 60 min | Stronger turns, slow adage and steps that travel across the room |
| 14 to 18 | Intermediate | 75 min | Fuller technique for teenagers, with pointe work only once a pupil is ready |
| Adults | Beginners and Improvers | 60 min | The same classical lesson at a gentler pace, with no exams expected |
Classes stop at twelve pupils, so the teacher can correct every dancer at the barre each week.
Watching, waiting and who teaches your child
Every teacher and assistant holds the safeguarding check required where the school is based, renewed on time, plus first aid training. The name of each check differs from country to country, so the office will tell any parent which one a teacher holds.
Parents may watch every lesson through the viewing window, and in the last week of each month families sit inside the studio for an open class. Children under eleven are handed over at the studio door and collected from it by a named adult. Teachers correct with words first, and ask before a hand goes on a shoulder or a knee.
- Checked teachers and assistants
- A viewing window at every lesson
- An open class at the end of each month
- Collection only by a named adult
What goes in the ballet bag
Uniform lets the teacher see knees, feet and backs clearly and stops loose clothes catching. A uniform swap rail by the office takes outgrown leotards and shoes at the start of every term.
- Leotard in the class colour
- Pink or skin tone tights
- Soft leather or canvas shoes
- Elastic sewn across each shoe
- Hair in a bun, held with a net
- A wrap cardigan for the warm up
- A water bottle with a name on it
Pointe shoes are never bought by age. The teacher suggests them only when feet, ankles and core are strong enough, which for most pupils takes several years of regular classes, and a parent comes to the first fitting.
Exams, only for pupils who want them
Graded exams are optional at every level, and pupils who would rather not be examined stay in the same class and learn the same steps. No teacher can promise a result, and none will try.
The teacher suggests it
About ten weeks before an exam session, the teacher speaks to pupils who look ready and writes to their parents.
The family decides
Nothing is entered until a parent agrees. The exam body's entry fee is passed on at cost, with nothing added.
Four practice Saturdays
Entered pupils rehearse the set exercises in four extra classes, so the exam room holds no surprises.
Exam day
An outside examiner watches a small group dance the set work while a teacher waits by the door.
Comments and certificate
Results arrive some weeks later, and the teacher reads the comments through with each pupil, whatever the mark.
Term fees and the adult class card
Terms run for eleven weeks. The fee covers the weekly class; exam entry, the show ticket and uniform are separate and listed in the questions below.
Little Swans and Primary
a term$132
- Eleven weekly classes
- The monthly open class
- 10% off for a brother or sister
Graded classes
a term$176
- Eleven weekly classes
- A second weekly class for $120
- Exam practice priced apart
Adult class card
10 classes$150
- A single class is $17
- Beginners or Improvers
- Wear anything that lets you move
Fees are paid to the school each term. A missed class is not refunded, but it can be made up in another class of the same level within that term.
Rehearsing for the summer show
Every class, from Little Swans to the adults, dances a short piece in the July show. The school lends the costumes and launders them afterwards.
Overheard in the waiting room (example reviews)
Our daughter is four and very shy. Watching through the window for the first few weeks helped, and by half term she was waving at us in the middle of a skip.
Started ballet at fifty one with no dance background at all. The teacher explains every French word, and nobody minds a wobbly balance on the left leg.
Our son decided against exams this year and simply stayed in his class. Nobody made a fuss, and he still had a short solo in the show.
Asked at the studio door
Is three too young for ballet?
Not for Little Swans, which is built on games, music and a few simple positions rather than technique. A child who is not ready to let go of a parent's hand can come back a term later, with no pressure either way.
Do boys take ballet here?
Yes, in every age group. Boys wear a white T shirt with black shorts or tights and white or black shoes, and learn the same class, with extra jumps as they get older.
Does every pupil have to sit exams?
No. Exams are offered from Grade 1 upwards to pupils who want them, and the rest learn the same steps in the same class. Nobody can promise a result, and the school does not try to.
When do pupils start pointe work?
Only when the teacher judges that feet, ankles and core are strong enough, usually after several years of regular classes and never because of age alone. A pupil with growing pains or a sore ankle should see a doctor or physiotherapist first.
May parents watch lessons?
Yes, through the viewing window at every lesson, and from inside the studio at the open class in the last week of each month. Photos and filming are not allowed in class, because other families may not want them.
What does the summer show cost a family?
Costumes are lent by the school. Tickets are $12 each, and each pupil's first ticket comes with the summer term fee. Rehearsals happen in normal class time, plus one Sunday dress rehearsal.
Try a class before the term starts
Tell the office the dancer's age and the week that suits. You will hear back within two working days with a place, another day if that class is full, or a question about level.
- Nothing is booked until the school confirms
- The trial fee is paid at the studio or as the office arranges
- Adults can try any Beginners class
Finding the studio
Ring the office between classes or send an email; families usually hear back the same day.
School office
Two studios on the first floor of the old library, opposite the bandstand in the park
Office hours
| Monday to Friday | 15:30 to 20:30 |
| Saturday | 08:30 to 14:00 |
| Sunday | Closed, except show rehearsals |
Arriving for class
Come ten minutes early so hair is up and shoes are on before the music starts. The waiting room has the viewing window, a changing room for pupils only and a rack for coats and scooters.
Book a trial class